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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wax — to grow
  4. snap — to click
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. suit — to fit
  10. spell — magic
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. suit — in cards
  18. spell — a short time
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spell — letters
  22. bear — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com